Useless Taxi Regulation In Kansas City

Kansas City’s attack on Lyft has been a reminder to many residents of the city’s excessively regulated for-hire vehicle market. City officials have long claimed that these regulations are all about safety. But any cursory inspection of Kansas City taxicab code reveals provisions that are clearly designed to limit competition and have nothing to do with passenger safety. Here are just some examples from the city’s taxicab code:

Ordinances that limit market entry:

• Section 76-43 prohibits jitneys (private vehicles operating fixed routes within the city).
• 76-73 (a). Caps taxi permits to 500.
• 76-73 (b). All new applicants to operate taxicabs must permit at least 10 vehicles.
• 76-75: Cab and livery vehicle owners must pay $300 per year for every permitted vehicle (in addition to a $50 application fee, driver’s fees, and inspections fees).
• 76-191 Holder of taxicab permits have to provide on demand service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• 76-191 (b). All taxicab companies must maintain a non-residential place of business that is staffed 24 hours a day.
• 76-212 Taxis cannot be more than eight years old and must have a luggage capacity of 15 cubic feet or greater.

Ordinances that set prices and reduce competition:

• 76-192 (a) requires all taxis to use a meter.
• Section 76-43 prohibits jitneys (private vehicles operating fixed routes within the city).
• 76-192 (b) sets fares for meters.
• 76-236 Livery vehicles cannot solicit passengers on any public way or airport or cruise in search of patronage. They cannot park for any time longer than picking up passengers and cannot accept any fare that has not been previously arranged.

Ordinances that are ridiculous, needless, and/or outdated:

• 76-203 Taxi drivers cannot sleep in their vehicles or play loud music.
• 76-203 (1) Taxi drivers cannot wear jogging suits or shorts from October 1 to April 30.
• 76-207 All taxis are required to have at all times detailed street map.
• 76-210 Taxicabs must have a top light visible from all directions.
• 76-210 Taxis must have the company name of vehicle written in letters not less than two inches or more than six inches in height.

These are just a few of the many questionable regulations that have nothing to do with customer safety and everything to do with controlling the market and reducing competition for large taxi companies. Needless to say, transportation options in Kansas City would greatly improve if these and other sections of the taxicab code were repealed.